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Child trafficking remains a deeply disturbing reality in India. The Supreme Court in its recent decision in K. P. Kiran Kumar versus State has given strict guidelines to prevent such offences, and held that trafficking grossly violates children’s fundamental right to life as guaranteed by the Constitution. According to the National Crime Records Bureau, in 2022, about 3,098 children below 18 years were rescued. Between April 2024 and March 2025, over 53,000 children were rescued from child labour, trafficking and kidnapping across India. However, the conviction rate for such offences between 2018 and 2022 was only 4.8%. 

Published - January 19, 2026 08:30 am IST